MADISON — Federal safety
regulators have cited two contractors for failing to locate a
gas main that exploded during work in a Madison suburb in
July.

A VC Tech employee punctured
the line while installing fiber optics, resulting in a blast
that leveled half a city block in Sun Prairie and killed
firefighter Corey Barr.

The U.S. Department of Labor
announced Thursday that the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration cited VC Tech and the contractor that hired the
firm, Kansas-based Bear Communications, $12,934 each on Jan.
4. The citations assert neither contractor contacted We
Energies, the utility that owns the line, or Digger's Hotline
to ascertain the main's location.

Email and voicemail messages
left at Bear Communications weren't immediately returned. No
listing for VC Tech could be found.